I have several drafts developed where I have worked over nearly a week to prepare a proper study on the current ‘movement’ that has now circled the globe. For those not reading this during and experiencing the Black Lives Matter movement that has swept the globe, you will be able to simply search the internet for ‘Black Lives Matter 2020’ to famimliarize yourself with the context of this post.
It is currently in early June 2020 and recent announcements include the defunding of the Minneapolis, MN police department. Not a portion, but the entire department. Politicians have gotten behind this movement and apparently intend to move forward with the plan.
I have read a post on social media that specifically tells Christians not to use these events (including protests and riots) to try to love people or spread the Gospel. This idea has even received approval from several wildly influential Bible teachers and likely will be followed soon by pastors and other religious leaders. Continue reading to see what my study of scripture has taught me about these events…
Let me first address the instructions from Christian influencers to not spread the Gospel or love on people:
Matthew 28:16-20 (NASB)
16 But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated.
17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful.
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Jesus was nothing if he wasn’t straight-forward. He was unambiguous in his instructions in this. Jesus’ final instructions to us are to do the exact opposite of what these so-called leaders are suggesting. We are to go and share the Gospel, baptizing new believers in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Who are you going to listen to? Jesus, or worldly ‘leaders’ that contradict Jesus?
Beyond the anti-Gospel sentiment of those leaders, we have specific instructions regarding how the Body of Christ is to approach the world and non-believers OR BELIEVERS who cause discord.
Jude 1:17-25 (NASB)
17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
18 that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.”
19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.
20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,
21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
It is important that we keep ourselves in the love of God, as expressed in verse 21. Activism is generally a worldly activity and is used by the enemy to introduce strife and discord among believers. This happens every time something comes and takes over the national conversation. It is important that the body of Christ remain together and of one mind when there are forces trying to pull it apart. During these times, we should pay attention to verses 20-23 – build up your faith, pray in the Spirit, keep yourself in God’s love and wait anxiously for the mercy of Christ’s return.
The church has used righteous activism in the past in movements such as anti-slavery and the civil rights movement, but when used, it should only be peaceful and with the goal of expanding the Kingdom of God. The danger of activism, as we have seen in the BLM movement of 2020, is that nefarious people/groups will attach themselves to a populist movement and can very easily co-opt the movement.
Many Christians will get caught up with the worldly matters thinking that we should submit to the world and the whims of the loud voices that call us names and try to convince us that Jesus is on their side in their important cause. Note: the only cause that Jesus ever showed passion about was the coming of the Kingdom of God and man’s preparation for that event. Everything he did was to advance the Kingdom of God.
So, what are we to do about the people that are speaking up and calling for activism?
TWO things!
- Do not show partiality (prejudice)
James 2:1-13 (NASB)
1 My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.
2 For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes,
3 and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,”
4 have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?
5 Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court?
7 Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well.
9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.
10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.
11 For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.
13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.During activist movements such as the one we are experiencing, we are tempted to join in with the crowd and begin calling people out for perceived beliefs or status, both of which are showing of partiality. Partiality quickly leads to judging, and as James mentioned, there is but one judge.
FAIR WARNING: this is much easier said than done, and you WILL fail, but you should immediately seek forgiveness once it is recognized or pointed out to you.
Partiality rears it’s ugly head in all kinds of situations:
- Preferring a rich man over a poor man (as illustrated in James 2 above)
- Preferring one skin color over another
- Condemning prostitutes but ignoring adultery
- Become all things to all people (without sinning) in order to win them to Christ. If someone is mourning, mourn with them; if they are celebrating, celebrate with them; if they are in prison, visit them in prison; If they are hurting, minister to them with gentleness; if they are violent, let them calm down and then minister with gentleness:
1 Corinthians 9:19-27 (NASB)
19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.
25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
In all things, we must act like the citizens of Heaven that we are, and we must show others the love of God, which includes his grace and mercy, so that they will have the opportunity to learn of the same grace and mercy and also become a citizen of Heaven.
Spread the Gospel – lives depend on it!
I pray, MARANATHA! (Come quickly, Lord Jesus!)
Your brother in Christ,
Duane
